New Brunswick’s premier says she is looking forward to working with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Susan Holt said Carney has expressed a desire to understand New Brunswick and what makes us unique.
During her weekly tariff update, Holt said the government was sending a letter to Carney outlining our province’s priorities.
“We have got to get all hands on deck to tackle the priorities that New Brunswickers have articulated to us,” the premier said Thursday.
“They want to see progress on our health-care system, they want affordable housing, they want an economy that’s growing and creating good-paying jobs.”
Holt said her government is supportive of Ottawa’s desire to see nation-building projects move forward.
“We want to make sure that Canadians can get access to New Brunswick’s ports to get their goods to new markets. We want to make sure that New Brunswick has unimpeded access to other markets in Canada for our products,” she said.
There is also a need for a strong federal partnership when it comes to responsible mineral development, she said.
Holt added that New Brunswick has 21 of the 34 minerals the federal government has identified as critical.
“I was really pleased to see the prime minister’s commitment to a one-project, one-permit model that we hope will respect the provincial jurisdiction that we have on minerals,” she said.
On the topic of immigration, Holt said it is key for helping New Brunswick continue to grow and deliver basic services.
The premier said they need their federal counterparts to recognize our province’s unique needs.
“We appreciate their priority placed on francophone immigration. We would like to see our fair share of seats in the provincial nominee program,” said Holt.
“We certainly have more conversations to have around international students and post-secondary institutions.”
Recent changes to federal immigration programs have forced New Brunswick Community College to cut dozens of jobs to ensure its long-term sustainability.
